I appreciate the animosity, and understand it, but everyone needs to take a deep breath. A couple of things:

1. Oklahoma didn't "pick the bones" of New Orleans. The Big Easy wasn't going to have a team for at least a year because of the tragedy, and OKC was doing the NBA a favor/auditioning for an NBA team of their own.

2. Bowland isn't speaking for the people of OKC, he's speaking for himself. None of us have any idea how the people of the city feel and if they are conflicted about getting the Sonics. Looking at the headlines - shoot, just looking at this site - wouldn't you come to the conclusion that Seattle doesn't want the Sonics, if wanting the Sonics means building a big-ass arena?

3. Yes, they do all look beaverish. It's due to inbreeding.

Damn, I almost made it through all 3 points without mocking Oklahoma. Well, 2 out of 3 .....

I saw that, via truehoop.com. I'll leave it to Paul to make any social/moral comments. He's better at that sort of thing. I already did my write up on the conservative mindset of Bennett & Co. back in November. Take a look here if you're interested:

More importantly, this all shows how unbelievably hypocritical it was/is of David Stern to suspend Tim Hardaway, when he has owners of teams sponsoring initiatives that support the same things Hardaway said.

Dammit, y'all ought to know that David Stern is the epitome of a moneygrubbin' whore.

As it is, Stern would suck off Clay Bennett in a second -- which, coincidentally, is the exact amount of time that it'd take Bennett to finish -- so long as it provided him with good publicity and stuffed his bank account—there's no denyin' it!

1. Oklahoma didn't "pick the bones" of New Orleans. The Big Easy wasn't going to have a team for at least a year because of the tragedy, and OKC was doing the NBA a favor/auditioning for an NBA team of their own.

So when New Orleans was ready to have the team back, why did OKC fight so hard to keep them?

It's one thing to lose a team because of indifference (like Seattle), but to take advantage of a natural disaster like Katrina is just disgusting.

I don't remember any "fight" and I live and work in the OKC metro. I don't want your stinkin' Sonics here-and I didn't care nearly as much about hosting a New Orleans basketball team nearly as much as I did hosting the numerous families (my sister and brother in-law included) who came here with no place else to go. They certainly don't feel that I "picked their bones" and the Hornets, like the numerous N.O. families I met post-Katrina, have been very gracious and appreciative of our efforts. I'm more worried about their opinion than those of you who have never been here. Fortunately, about half of my family lives in Seattle and I know better than to base my opinion of your city (which has always been favorable) on the rude words I've read here.

Sorry to throw you under the bus, Paul, but I've got to agree with the Oklahomans here. I don't see any evidence they "fought to keep" the team in Oklahoma, beyond going to games. I also don't see that they "picked the bones" of New Orleans by hosting the Hornets. The Hornets were going to play somewhere other than N.O. for at least a year or so, so I don't see how OKC can be blamed for playing host.

If you want to blame anyone, I'd lay the blame at the feet of George Shinn, who doesn't seem to mind whoring his team around while the city that took him in (New Orleans) is struggling to rebuild itself.

Actually you can thank the OKC mayor for the split name idea. It's public record, the mayor contacted the NBA and asked to have their name attached to the team and demanded the hornets wear a patch rep'ing OKC at all times. They even fought to have the NOLA patch removed from the OKC only jerseys. Several times over the past 2 season the OKC media has published "insider knowledge" that the power people in OKC were trying to secure the Hornets long term. So yes, in a way they were picking the bones of post Katrina New Orleans.

We might as well get used to this sort of thing, from what I have seen and heard of the OKC media they can be pretty brutal. They have published several articles since Clay bought the team where they refer to the team as OKC's future NBA squad. They don't feel bad about it because they just assume the team is poorly supported and would be better off in OKC.

Paul and Nuss, FYI the key players in Oklahoma City that tried to relocate the Hornets were Mike Morgan (President of the Oklahoma Senate), Armand Paliotta (an attorney at Hartzog, Conger), John Robertson (an attorney at Hartzog, Conger), Brice Collier (Oklahoma native and CFO of the Hornets), and Paul Mott (former President of the Hornets who now lives in Oklahoma City) The internal project name that this team used was "BeeKeeper," and their agenda and efforts were supported by people like Mick Cornett, Berry Tramel, Dean Blevins, Michael Thompson, and Stephen Clark.The most disgusting aspect of the whole episode was that the effort began within 2 months of Katrina, when bodies were still being pulled out of attics in New Orleans.

There was alot of good will that was generated in the 2 years that you guys shared the Hornets with us, but the actions on behalf of your city by the names that I mentioned above will always be a black-eye in the eyes of people from Louisiana.

Well, I guess I have to take back my kind words about OKC. I just assumed that no one would try to exploit a tragedy on the scale of Katrina for their own gain. Unfortunately, I underestimated the depravity of the human condition.

I think Toby Rowland's comment was a play on the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets we've all been hearing for 2 years. It was a unique situation to have a team currently living in Oklahoma playing a team owned by Oklahomans in New Orleans, and I doubt he was indicating more than the irony of that situation with his comment.

As far as the Hornets and Oklahoma City are concerned, had New Orleans supported the Hornets well before Katrina, there probably would have been no thought in anyone's mind of the Hornets staying in Oklahoma City. OKC residents gave generously of their time and money to Katrina victims, and $250,000.00 was raised in a one night benefit for Hoops for Homes in OKC. I suspect that the people of Oklahoma donated more money to help New Orleans than unaffected resideents in the state of Louisiana did. You're talking about six people anyway, and you project their behavior on the entire populace of the state.

We'll see how badly the people in New Orleans really wanted the Hornets back this coming year.

I grew up in the Seattle area for a number of years, and now live Oklahoma City. Toby Rowland is not to be despised, and he didn't intend any harm. I call his radio show and make it known that the Sonics need to stay in Seattle, that I don't want them to leave, and his comment always is, I hope that they do stay, but IF they don't then I hope they come here.

The Sonics would not be the Sonics if they came here. After 40 years in Seattle, they are an institution. Realistically speaking, however, the region has to get on the ball as it looks more and more likely they WILL be leaving.

And BTW, Aubrey McClendon also donates to many other things across the country, and not everyone is going to like everything every sports owner donates to. Get over bringing politics onto the arena floor.

Ouch. Harsh words. Despite the impression that may be left by a few Seattleites who have posted here, I will try not to think of each and every resident of that city as a coffee-drenched, pasty-skinned, granola-crunching, arrogant, ingnorant, vegan, smug hippie. It's tempting, but I know it's not true. Just like the people of OKC aren't evil franchise-stealing, anti-gay inbreds. Seattle, Oklahoma City, and New Orleans are all great cities with proud residents...too bad there aren't enough NBA teams for everyone.

I'm from Oklahoma and I'm rich, have a graduate degree, all my teeth, and I've going to get season tickets to the OKC Sonics. Too bad you hippies couldn't put down your joint or your latte and save your team. Maybe you'll get lucky and land a pro ultimate frisbee team.